鹰科yīng kē

鷹科yīng kē

수리과suri-gwa

General

Information is from dictionaries and other sources. Species list may not be current. Korean glosses are tentative. Comments and corrections welcome. Hover over Green LetteringGreen lettering at this site hides a tool tip with glosses, further explanations, etc. Hover cursor to reveal. to see additional information.

In Japanese, there are fairly well established distinctions between eagles, hawks, and other birds in the Accipitrinae. The largest birds (eagles) are called ワシwashi (written 鷲). The smaller raptors are called タカtaka (written 鷹). In a narrow sense, タカtaka refers specifically to the Accipiters or 'true hawks'. The Northern Sparrowhawk is known as ハイタカhai-taka (written 鷂), the local Japanese Sparrowhawk as ツミtsumi (written 雀鷹or 雀鷂).

The kites are known as トビtobi (written 鳶, also pronounced トンビtonbi), the buzzards are known as ノスリnosuri (written 鵟, a character that in Chinese originally referred to a owl or nightjar -- the Japanese usage is an innovation), the buzzard-eagles are known as サシバsashiba (written 差羽), and the vultures are known as ハゲワシhage-washi'bald eagles' (written 禿鷲), or more popularly ハゲタカhage-taka (禿鷹) 'bald hawk'.

The ornithological names in Japanese are:

Genus

Name

Pernis (Honey Buzzards)

ハチクマhachi-kuma'bee bear'

Milvus (Kites)

トビtobi

Haliaeetus (Sea Eagles)

ワシwashi

Aegypius (Vulture)

ハゲワシhage-washi'bald-eagle'

Spilornis (Snake Eagle)

ワシwashi

Circus (Harriers)

チュウヒchūhi

Accipiter (Hawks)

タカtaka, ツミtsumi

Butastur (Buzzard)

サシバsashiba

Buteo (Buzzards)

ノスリnosuri

Aquila (Eagles)

ワシwashi

Spizaetus (Hawk Eagles)

クマタカkuma-taka'bear hawk'

CULTURAL

The word タカtaka'hawk' is used in Japanese in the sense of 'warlike hardliner', a usage borrowed from English. Such people are known as 鷹派taka-ha or 'hawk faction'.

In haiku, 鷹taka is a season word for winter.

The Japanese expression 鵜の目鷹の目u no me taka no me'eyes of a cormorant, eyes of a hawk' refers to looking for something with sharp or keen eyes.

A well-known expression in Japanese is 能ある鷹は爪を隠すnō aru taka wa tsume o kakusu, meaning 'A hawk with ability hides its talons'. A person with truly formidable talents, great ability, or great power does not show them off to get attention. They are brought out only when needed. Can be used as an exhortation, or as praise for a person who quietly listens while others loudly expound their shallow knowledge.

The expression 鳶に油揚げをさらわれるtonbi ni abura-age o sarawareru'to have fried tofu snatched by a kite' means to have something valuable snatched away from before one's eyes.

The distinction between 'eagle' and 'vulture' in Chinese is a relatively recent one. The character 鹫 is traditionally used for both eagles and vultures.

The etymology of サシバsashiba' is unknown. In Chinese characters it is usually written 1) 差羽, where the verb 差すsasu has a very broad range of meanings, including 'to point', and 羽, here read ba, means 'wing' or 'feather', or 2) 鸇, an ancient Chinese raptor name.